Electrically-operated valve.



FRANCIS W. OBENHAUS, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26 191.6.

Application led October 23, 1315. Serial No. 57,612.

To all wlw-m, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCIS WV. OBEN- HAUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a. new and useful Electrically-Operated Valve, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to valves, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a valve which can be opened or closed at a dist-ance from theV operator by means of electricity transmitted over suitable wires.

A further object of my invention is to provide a valve in which the electro-magnets used are protected both against external injury and against the action of the fluid passing through the valve.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a valve which will have but ltwo working parts and in which it will not be necessary to use any stufling box forv operating the internal mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a. preferred embodiment of my invention with the valve in the open position. Fig. 2 is a. partial section showing the valve in closed position. Fig. 3 is a section on the plane L-:r3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. AFig. 4 is a section on the plane :c3-w3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction opposite to the arrows. Fig. 5 is a diagram of connections.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, a valve body 11 is provided,

this valve body being threaded at 12 to receive an inlet pipe, and threaded at 13 to receive an outlet pipe. Av diaphragm 14 divides the interior of the valve body into an inlet chamber 15 and an outlet chamber 16. The diaphragm 14 has a. horizontal portion 17 through which a vertical opening 18 passes, the opening 18 connecting the chambers 15 and 16 and being surrounded by a seat 19 formed on the upper face of the horizontal portion 17 ofthe diaphragm 14. A cylindrical opening 20 is cut in the upper portion of the valve body 11, and a. clapper 21 slides freely therein, this clapper being preferably formed of iron or steel and having a.' central slot 22 formed in the upper portion thereof. A horizont-al hole 23 is centrally drilled through the clapper 21, this hole 23 being connected to the slot 22 by a vertical hole 24. A small vertical groove 25 is cut in the side of the slot 22 to accommodate a latch pivot 26, this latch pivotY being cylindrical in form and consisting of two limbs at right angles to each other, one of these limbs 27 being horizontal and the other limb 28 being vertical and being secured in ahorizontal partition 29 formed in a cap 35. Pivoted on the horizontal limb 27 is a latch 30, this latch having a latch pin 31 secured therein. The latchpin 31 is of suiicient length to extend through the hole 24 into the hole 23 and has a shoulder 32 formed thereon so placed that it engages the shoulder formed by the junction of the hole 24 with the hole 23, as shown in Fig. 1, the limb 27 being so located in the latch 30 that the action of gravity tends to throw the latch into the engaged position, as shown in Fig. 1. The latch 30 may be made of magnetic material, or it may have an insert 33 of magnetic material secured therein, for the purposeswhich will hereinafter be described. The cap 35 is threaded to the valve body 11, as shown at 36, and has anupwardly projecting rim 37 in which an insulating shell 38 is threaded. Three electromagnets 40, 4l and 42 are wound on cores 43, 44 and 45, these cores being of steel, or other magnetic material, and being secured in the partition 29, projecting slightly l therethrough in such a position thatthey can act upon the clapper 21 and upon the magnetic material 33. The cores 43 and 44 are joined at their upper end by a strip of magnetic material 46, the magnets 40 and 41 wit-h their cores 43 and 44 and the strip 46 forming what is virtually a single lifting magnet, the cores 43 and 44 projecting through the partition 29 in such a position that they act upon and liftI the clapper 21. The magnet 42 and the core 45 forln what is virtually a. releasing magnet, the core 45 projecting through the partition 29l in such a position that itcan attract the body of magnetic material 33, lifting thelatch 30 into the position shown in Fig.2 and re leasing the shoulder 32 so that the clapper 21 can fall. Three wires 50, 51 and 52 are brought out through the shell 38, these wires being connected as shown in Fig. 5, the wire 52 connecting one side of'a battery 53 with the common junction point of the magnets 40, 41 and 42. The other terminals of the magnets 40 and 41 are connected together and are connected through the wire 50 with one contact 54 of a switch 55. The other terminal of the magnet 42 is connected through the wire 5l with a contact 56 of the switch 55. An operating arm 57 of the switch 55 is connected to the other Aterminal of the battery 53.

circuit is maintained from the battery through the arm 57 and the contact 54, through thewire 50, through the magnets 40 and 41, and through the wire 52-back to the battery. The 'low of current to the magnets 40 and 41 energi-zes the cores 43 and 44 and attracts and pulls up the clapper 21 which assumes the position shown in Fig. 1. As the magnet 42 is not energized, the weight of the latch 30 forces the shoulder 32 into engagement as shown in Fig. 1, and the valve will remain open even after the switch arm 57 is moved to the off position, as shown in the diagram. This enables the valve to be opened instantly, and provides for its being held open without the necessity for maintaining a constant current in the cores during such a time as it is desired to hold it open. This results in a small current consumption and long life to the battery. and enables the magnets to be heavily energized without danger of overheating them, as the current is only maintained on them momentarily. Whenever it is' desired to close the valve the arm 57 is moved over to the contact 56, current flowing from the battery 53 through the arm 57, through the Contact 56, through the wire 51, through the magnet 42, and through the wire 52 back to the battery 53. The energizing of the magnet 42 energizes the core 45, the magnetism of which acting on the magnetic material 33 ofthe latch 30 pulls the latch up into the` position shown in Fig. 2, releasing the clapper 21 which drops into the position shown in that figure, thereby closing the opening 18.

It is to be especially noted that the magnets 40, 41 and 42 are in a separate chamber from the clapper 21 and that by allowing the cores 43, 44 .and 45 to project through the disk 29, which is of nonmagnetic matev rial, it is possible to operate the internal portions of the valve without the necessity of using stuffing boxes of any kind. It is also to be noted that `the pressure of lthe fluid itseli'l tends to hold the clapper in place when the valve is closed, and that there are only two moving parts, both of which are operated by gravity, so that there is no likelihood of their getting out of order. It is further to be noted that the valve body 11 is of a standard form which is well known in the al't and which has proven the most satisfactory for the purposes for which it is used in this invention. It is also tobc noted that the magnets 40, 41 and 42, and the cores 43, 44 and 45 may be of practically identical construction, and that this construction is a relatively simple and cheap one.

I find that it is practicable to substitute for the battery 53 any source of direct or alternating current, my invention working equally well on either sort of current.

I claim as my invention In a valve, a valve body, a. central diaphragm dividing the interior of said body into an inlet opening and an outlet opening, said diaphragm having an approximately horizontal portion with a vertical opening therethrough which connects said outlet and inlet openings, said inlet opening extending over the horizontal portion of the diaphragm and said outlet opening extending under the horizontal portion of said diaphragm, a seat formed on the upper side of said horizontal portion of said diaphragm around said vertical opening, a clapper sliding in a cylindrical opening formed inthe upper part of said valve body concentric with said vertical opening. in Said diaphragm and so formed that it makes a. tight joint with said seat in its lowest position, an imperforate cap tightly closing the top of said cylindrical opening, electrwmagnetic lifting means carried on said cap for lifting said clapper, latch means carried on said cap for holding said clapper in the raised position, electromagnetic releasing means for releasing said latch means, and a shell so shaped as to cover and protect said electromagnetic lifting means and said electromagnetic releasing means, said shell being threaded on the upper portion of said cap.

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set 'my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 14th day of October, 1915.

FRANCIS lV. OBENHITS. 

